The
Fukushima nuclear disaster sent shock waves around the world. Many residents
were forced to evacuate. A substantial number of them are still unable to
return, and not a few have already died.

At
the opening session of the criminal trial, held on June 30, 2017, the attorneys
appointed by the court to serve as prosecutors submitted a substantial body of
evidence indicating that even though Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (TEPCO) had
foreseen the possibility of a large-scale tsunami and considered countermeasures,
they decided to postpone their implementation.

The
defendants insist that (a) the tsunami could not have been foreseen and (b)
even if had been predicted, there was not enough time to implement
countermeasures and therefore, they are not liable. The prosecutors insist that
the defendants should have shut down the nuclear power plant until all
countermeasures were complete and safety secured.

They
assert that it is a crime to operate a nuclear power plant where safety has not
been secured.

●What
kind of trial is this?

It
is a trial pursuing the criminal responsibility of former TEPCO executives for
the Fukushima nuclear disaster. As it
became apparent in the months following the disaster that no one was going to
be held responsible for it, citizens formed a group, the Complainants for
Criminal Prosecution of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, and filed complaints
with the public prosecutors office, seeking investigation and a criminal
indictment. Twice the public prosecutors declined to indict, and twice the
decision was overturned by a Committee for Inquest of Prosecution, composed of
ordinary citizens. It is this process that has led to a “compulsory indictment”
and a criminal trial. Since the public prosecutors were unwilling to
indict, court-appointed attorneys are serving as prosecutors.

●Who are the defendants?

Former
chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata, former vice president Ichirou Takekuro and former
vice president Sakae Mutou.

●What
are the charges?

Even
though TEPCO knew about the possibility of a major tsunami breaching the
premises of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, thereby causing a severe
accident, the defendants neglected to adopt countermeasures. The accident that
ensued on March 11, 2011 forced the evacuation of hospitalized patients and
other vulnerable people, resulting in injury and death. They are therefore
charged with the crime of professional negligence leading to death or
injury.

The
March 2011 nuclear disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant of Tokyo
Electric Power Company, which has been ranked at the highest (meaning “most
serious”) level according to the International Nuclear Event Scale, dispersed a
massive amount of radioactivity into the natural environment and robbed people
of their everyday lives. No resolution is in sight, and the problems
confronting people are only growing more serious. Not only Japan, but the world
is watching this trial, hoping to see the truth of the disaster disclosed and
responsibility made clear.

At
the opening session of the trial on June 30, 2017, the three defendants pleaded
“not guilty.” The court-appointed attorneys serving as prosecutors submitted
numerous pieces of evidence demonstrating the criminal liability of the
defendants. We were led to the renewed recognition that the truth of the
disaster had been hidden from us. Is Japan a country abiding by the rule of
law? Is it a country that respects the value of all life? This what is at stake
in this trial. We strongly urge the court to conduct an appropriate and speedy
trial, leading to a fair decision.